In manufacturing a semiconductor device, various substrate processing apparatuses (semiconductor apparatuses) are used in order to perform processes such as, for example, oxidation, diffusion, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and annealing on a processing target object, for example, a substrate such as, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, also simply referred to as a “wafer”). Further, as one of the substrate processing apparatuses, a batch type substrate processing apparatus (a substrate heat treatment apparatus) has been known in which a heat treatment may be performed on a plurality of wafers at one time.
Here, an exemplary configuration of a batch type substrate processing apparatus of the related art will be described with reference to FIG. 1.
FIG. 1 a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating the periphery of a partition wall provided between a transfer area and a carry-in area in a substrate processing apparatus.
In FIG. 1, a carry-in area 12 is illustrated on the right of a partition wall 11 in the drawing. Wafers are carried into the carry-in area 12 from the outside of the apparatus by a carrying container (also referred to as a “carrier” or “FOUP”) 14 in which a plurality of wafers is accommodated. The carry-in area 12 is under the same atmosphere as the periphery where the substrate processing apparatus is provided, for example, under an ambient atmosphere.
A transfer area 13 is illustrated on the left of the partition wall 11 in the drawing. In the transfer area 13, the wafers in the carrying container 14 are transferred to a boat (a holder) configured to hold wafers to be supplied to a heat treatment furnace and wafers, which have subjected to a heat treatment, are transferred from the boat to the carrying container 14. In the transfer area 13, an inert gas atmosphere or a clean dry air atmosphere is formed in order to prevent the wafers from being contaminated and to prevent a natural oxide film from being produced on the wafers in some cases. Further, in order to prevent the atmosphere of the carry-in area 12 from infiltrating into the transfer area 13, the pressure in the transfer area 13 is set to be higher than the pressure in the carry-in area 12.
Meanwhile, an opening 111 is formed through the partition wall 11 and an opening/closing door 112 is provided in the opening 111.
In the carry-in area 12, the carrying container 14, in which the wafers to be supplied to the transfer area 13 are accommodated, is placed on a placing table 15. In the carrying container 14, a take-out opening (not illustrated) is provided on a side surface 141 (left surface in the drawing) in order to take out the wafers in the carrying container 14 and a sealable cover (not illustrated) is provided on the take-out opening in order to prevent the wafers in the carrying container 14 from being contaminated by particles. When the carrying container 14 is placed on the placing table 15, the carrying container 14 is placed such that the take-out opening faces the opening 111 of the partition wall 11.
The carrying container 14 placed on the placing table 15 is pressed against the partition wall 11 by a carrying container pressing unit (not illustrated) provided on the placing table 15. When the carrying container 14 is pressed against the partition wall 11, the surface of the carrying container 14 which faces the partition wall 11 abuts against the partition wall 11 with a sealing member (not illustrated) being interposed therebetween. The sealing member is provided to surround the opening 111 of the partition wall 11.
The carrying container 14 pressed against the partition wall 11 is pushed downwardly by a pushing unit 16 provided above the carrying container 14. In this case, a front end of the pushing unit 16 is accommodated in a recess (not illustrated) formed on a handle 142 on the top of the carrying container 14 so as to restrain the movement of the carrying container 14 in the X-axis direction in the drawing.
Subsequently, the cover of the carrying container 14 is opened by a cover opening mechanism (not illustrated) and the door 112 is opened by a door opening mechanism (not illustrated). In this case, since the carrying container 14 is pressed against the partition wall 11, the atmosphere in the carry-in area 12 may be prevented from infiltrating into the transfer area 13. According to the above-described operation, since the inner space of the carrying container 14 and the transfer area 13 are directly connected with each other, the wafers in the carrying container 14 may be carried into the transfer area 13 by a transfer unit (not illustrated) which is provided at the transfer area 13 side.